Why does proper nutrition matter?
Nutrition is the most important variable in maintaining good health and no matter what you might think, all calories are not created equal. How you choose to eat influences the amount of energy you have on any given day, the strength of your immune system, the quality of your athletic performance, and the precision of your mental processes. The types of foods we eat directly affect how energy is stored in the body by stimulating the release of different hormones. Foods high in sugar stimulate fat storage whereas foods containing lean protein are beneficial to muscle growth. Exercise alone cannot give you all of the benefits you want.
Eating properly also aids in preventing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor body composition and lack of energy. It is also believed that healthy eating can help prevent the development of certain cancers. Certainly, proper nutrition can help increase your longevity. Exercise alone cannot give you all of the benefits you want. Only by eating well AND exercising will you truly make dramatic changes to your body and health.
What should I eat for proper nutrition?
At CrossFit Albuquerque, we recommend a Zone-style diet. This way of eating promotes moderate intake of protein, carbohydrates and fat and greatly mimics the way our ancestors ate. Our bodies are not designed to properly digest and utilize processed foods or excessive amounts of salt and sugar. By sticking to vegetables, lean meats, seeds and nuts, and moderate amounts of fruit, our bodies are better able to maintain proper hormonal balances and blood sugar levels. This becomes critical not only to great health but to high level athletic performance. Eating in the ‘Zone’ promotes better overall health, increased athleticism, faster recovery, and enhanced fat loss.
When eating within Zone parameters, the quality of the foods you choose become very important. Proteins should be lean – chicken, turkey, lean cuts of beef, eggs and tofu. Keeping a close eye on your fat content is essential. Fats should be of the healthy variety – nuts, avocados, olive oil and olives. As for fruits and vegetables, stick to low-glycemic choices. These prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar levels – broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, apples, blueberries and kiwi are examples. Every meal should include a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
This is important for several reasons. As mentioned above, sugar stimulates the body to store fat. How does this happen? When there is a rapid rise in blood sugar levels, the hormone insulin is stimulated. While insulin is necessary for maintaining balance, too much leads the body to store excess sugar and calories in the adipose tissues, i.e. body fat. Elevated insulin levels have been linked to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and even depression. Starches are high in natural sugars and are to be avoided. Also some fruits have higher levels of sugar than others. Processed foods are rife with hidden sugars as well as stripped of natural nutrients. Thus the importance of choosing the right carbohydrates.
Why combine carbs with fat and protein? Protein and fat slow down the rate of digestion. This prevents blood sugar levels from rising too quickly. Instead, a slow, steady stream of energy is released for use by the body. Protein also stimulates the release of glucagon. This hormone prompts the liver to release stored carbohydrate that can be used for energy and it signals to the brain that you are full. In addition to aiding in the balance of blood sugar, protein is essential for building muscle. After exercise, muscle cell damage must be repaired. Proper amounts of protein repairs those cells and rebuilds them to be bigger and stronger.
Fat also slows down digestion and keeps you feeling full. Healthy fats are essential to fat burning by preventing the body from burning muscle for energy. Monounsaturated fats found in nuts, olive oil and fish also aid in brain function and joint function.
How much should I eat for proper nutrition?
Eating too much of anything, even healthy foods, is detrimental to your waistline and to athletic performance. Most people tend to eat too much. To eat for optimal health, you have several options available for portion control. One method is to simply eyeball the amount of food on your plate. A serving of protein should take up only a third of your plate; carbohydrates should fill the other two-thirds. Fats should be minimal.
You can also use the size of your hand to determine portion sizes. Your palm is the size of your protein, an open grip is one cup of leafy vegetables and a closed grip is a cup of fruit. This method is helpful when you are faced with an enormous plate of food, such as at a restaurant. Again, fats should be minimal.
The most precise method of determining portions is to follow the Zone block chart. This chart is a listing of a wide variety of proteins, carbohydrates and fats along with the specific amount of each food equivalent to one serving (or, in Zone terminology, ‘block’). It can be time consuming to measure out your food, but it is also incredibly beneficial in terms of precise portion control. You can also determine the number of blocks for packaged foods by reading the food label, or, for bulk foods, by looking up nutritional data at websites such as nutritiondata.com. For any given food, 9grams of carbs are equal to one block. For protein, 7grams is equal to one block and 3grams of fat is equal to one block.
*when calculating carbohydrates, you may subtract grams of fiber; 23g carbs - 5g fiber =18grams carbs
What is a block and how many do I need?
Each individual is different when it comes to the optimal amount of food required to meet his or her nutritional needs. Variables such as height, weight, activity level and gender must be taken into consideration when determining daily food requirements. At CrossFit Albuquerque, we use Zone ‘blocks’ to prescribe food amounts.
A block is the specific means of determining food amounts and serving sizes when following a Zone diet. One block of protein is equal to 7grams. One block of carbohydrates is equal to 9 grams and one block of fat is equal to 3 grams. How many blocks you eat at one meal varies from person to person. Again, gender, size and activity level come in to play here.
There are two methods for calculating your block requirements. The easiest way is to determine your body type (small, medium, large) and your activity level. A small female would require 10-11 blocks per day depending on her amount of physical activity. A medium female would require 11-12 blocks, and a large female would require 12-14. Men generally require more blocks but again should look to body type and activity level.
A male’s requirements would start at 16 and range all the way to 25.
A more specific method for calculating block needs requires some measurements. The website zonediet.com leads you through the process by asking you for measurements and then performing the calculations for you. At CrossFit Albuquerque, your trainers can help you with this as well. Detailed directions and charts are given in Dr. Barry Spears' Zone Diet books.
How often should I eat?
There are several basic guidelines for timing your meals. Starting the day with breakfast is of utmost importance. This is the first ‘fueling’ of the day and is imperative for optimal energy to perform everyday tasks. Breakfast jumpstarts the metabolism and provides the necessary energy for all daily needs. Thinking of food in this way, as fuel for the body, will help in understanding the need to eat the right quality in the right quantity.
It is also important to eat throughout the day. You should not go longer than 4-5 hours between meals and only 2-2 ½ hours after snacks. This provides the body with a continual fuel source so that energy levels remain high and prevents slumps in blood sugar levels. Finish the day with a small, healthy snack before bedtime.
What about water?
Almost three-fourths of us are chronically dehydrated. Because we are largely made of water, staying hydrated keeps our bodies at peak performance. As little as a 2% drop in levels of body water will lead to decreased brain function, irritability, fatigue and reduced athletic performance. Drinking water throughout the day keeps the body hydrated, alert, and at peak performance.
What should I eat before and after my workouts?
It is important for your body to be fueled before a workout. The body need something to burn and you don't want it to be muscle tissue! Having said that, eating too close to a workout will lead to cramping, nausea and decreased performance. Eating 1 1/2 -2 hours before a workout provides your body with a sufficient amount of time to digest the food consumed and to convert it into energy.
*this time frame may vary slightly from person to person
You pre-workout meal should contain a combination of protein, carbohydrate and fat. The protein will prevent excessive muscle damage and keep blood sugar levels from elevating too rapidly. Fat provides energy, as well as aiding in maintaining balanced blood sugar. Carbohydrates, of course, provide energy.
A post-workout 'snack' should be eaten within 30-60 of ending the workout. CrossFit workouts burn a tremendous amount of fuel and this window is the optimal time to refuel.
During strenuous activity, muscle energy stores become depleted and must be renewed for muscle cell repair and growth. In the window of time one hour post workout, there is a greater uptake by the muscles of new 'fuel' than at any other time. This is the one time you want to eat a high-glycemic index carb combined with a protein so that energy is released quickly into the body for rapid use in muscle repair and rebuilding. Avoid fat and fiber, sticking to a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein. This can be accomplished by drinking a fruit smoothie containing whey protein or by simply eating grapes and a cheese stick.
Brandy Beck
Helpful Resources:
Books:
Eat This, Not That , a series by Men’s Health editor, David Zinczenco
The Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain
The Paleo Diet for Athletes by Joel Friel, U.S. Olympic Triathlon coach
The Zone and Mastering the Zone by Dr. Barry Spears
Websites:
www.about.com/lowcarbdiets lists and articles on various Zone-style diets
www.ars.usda.gov lists the nutritional components of almost 7,000 foods
www.crossfit.com articles on exercise and nutrition
www.glycemicindex.com rates foods according to glycemic index
www.nutritiondata.com extensive information on nutrition/nutritional
components of various foods
www.thepaleodiet.com information on Paleolithic nutrition
www.zonediet.com block charts, recipes, meal planners and block calculator